West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-02-25
WADING THE RIVER.
HOW SIXTY THOUSAND MEN FoRDEp
Ti3e RAPPAHANNocK.
An Experience Which Banishcd Home
sickness -clothing, Rations and Am
munisiOn Carried Aloft on the
Muzzlas of Muskets.
LIohn Z. Keatlsr,s .ReeoIlectlons. y

John H. Keatey's 'Recollections~l
Tho first novelty OF tho campaign was tie
abandonment of the usual wagon transport
for the expedition. For weeks thousands OK
green mules were brought down tho Poto-
mac and put or the boats at Acquia creek,
TO 30 used in en- enormous pack-train.
Thousands OF peck-saddles vera prepared
for the CARVING OF @aard tacko il boxes,
anu ammunition for tbs infantry and artil-
le-y. The woods for miles around were
sonorous with the peculiar concert which
such q large number OF young males can
create Few Of them had ever been sub
iectod to tho discipline OF rope halter, and
nons Of them had been trained in the mys-
teriss Of the pack-saddle. The men intrusted
with the organization of this species Of
transport service were as ignorant OF its in
t-icaciss as tho mules themselves. Between
the @er-hawingn Of the long-eared hybrid
and the niatchleSs profanity OF the men in
trusted with their discipline. thatside OF the
RappahaanocS was made a complete pan
demonium which can revor be described
and is scarcely imaginable. These count
less wooden pGck-saddles resembled saw
bucks, AMI it was a standing joke among
The men Of the Army Of the Potomac tnat
Hooker. in his next move, intended to mount
his troops On wooden horses IS mounted IN
fantry.
The novel pacS-train WAS in readiness at
the close OF April The Virginia mud,
which for several months had made tao
ways impossible, had dried up The warm
I'm Of early spring in that climate had made
camp life irksome, and the troops began to
long for activity in the open field. though.
it meant death and suffering to thousands Of
them before it would DO all over. On McD-
day rnorning at tho end % that month 6J,Olo
men, comprising the Fifth corps un3or
Meaie, the Eleventh, under Howard and
tho Twelfth, under Slocum began their
march up the north bank Of tee RGppahaa-
mock river in the clear, warm sunlight.
Three corps under SeigwicS, Franklin,
Sickles, and Couch, were retained on tho
hei-ats Of Stafford to lull Gen. Leo into
'al Q security on the south side OF that river
Until the column stealing march up the
forth bank could cross over an1 strike
Gd1ea blow. The mule train followed at
convenient distance, and each private soldier
carried sixty rounds OF ammunition FOR his
musket and eight days ratioa5 or hard
bread in his knapsack.
No movement was ever made by thu
Army of the Potomac that ives 50 free from
struggling. There was virtually none. Tao
troops carried no meat OF any kind with
them-they had nothing but hard-tack,
sugar AMI coffee The hard bread was
packed in rows in the knap-sacks, and oil
extra clothing and blankets were left bs-
hind The heavy timber on the north side
Of the river completely masked the march,
and the only sgive away was the eternal
~yonka Of tho pack mules, before that unac-
cuStomed 10 any kind OF military subordi-
nation. Darkness Of the first day Of the
expedition found the head Of the infantry
column at Kslly's ford, twenty-five miles
from the starting point Of tho morning, and
ready to eros. Tho river was running rap
idly, and cold with the spring thaw Of the
mountain watershed which sent its tribu-
taries to tho Reppahannock. dense. dark
forest overhung both banks Of the stream.
The march had not been incumbered by any
poutoon train, and the boys all realized at
once that they were in fora cold wade.
Fires wore kinilei whore the road slopsd
iown to the ford and the waters edge To
give a partial light to the crossing, AMI tho
water looked cold, terribly cold, as tho men
were ordered to strip every article Of ciot,-
ing and prepare to wade the stream. A
cavalry picket was stationed little below
tho point OF crossing, il mid-streain, 80
heads of tho horses upstream, the horses
snd horsemea standing stock still in ths
lsap water as closely a they could, to for i
a living boom to catch each intantryrl ~
who might loose his footing AMI aoat AVA.
It was On interesting sight Those 6l9lt
aaked men as they cana 70 the glo .gc
river bank, plunged down iato that ice-y,,
water, and waded TO the opposite shore \ :.
their a-clothiag, amlGunitio1.
and ratjOns-wore tied into g baallo. go
tened TO tho muzz!es OF their mus o., Gi'
borne aloit to keep them out o. tn wa,
It was impossible for men to proserve 81. ,.'.'.
lnder such circumstances Il was Il
which they had not anticipated, AMI as t..'.
were in for it, nothing could restrain tlse
impulse to outbursts OF nirth.
The glare Of the fires on the rive; bans ma i
weird speeters on the water The rapid car
rent came 20 tho chins OF tho5e Of ,nel;nn
height and men and boys who were un leg
size. and there were hundreds o. tnose, even
when standing OF tip-toe, went gugsliny UNI
Ger, budget and oil, and came ous rescued
"a kl9 clNdiIJ HlCA3N ucAtWf NuAJ a nus
worse for the racket and scare. Never were
Sssye so many men together who were in
good humor and men laughed that night
who hadn't laughed FOR months The incl
lent actually banished hOme-sickness, ons
u the worst malsdies watch ever attacks
elders. II was tho most comicai-loosilg
crew menkind ever behsl, aud it is absO-
lutely certain that no such scene was any
where else witnessed during the entire war.
General cllcers mingled with the enlisted
non as nude as the latter, sharing the fun
and the discomforts Of the crossing with
them.
TIE Rapidan was reached ami crossed in
few hours in the same style ami under tho
sauio circumstances It was as cold and
lark an immersion at the latter ford, at
Germania, as it was at Kelly's but little
brush with portion Of Gen. Mahone'S
brigade ct the Rapidan crossing and the
capture OF several hundred Georgians in al
eorthwork made an episode OF considerable
interest What added TO this was the fact
that they were completely surprised, and
Gen. ]. E d Stuars's famous vigilance and
activity as q scout were, fer once, at fault.